Displays are well known. One commonly finds displays in grocery or drug stores announcing prices, new items, or providing take-one pads for items. The displays use fasteners to attach signs and the like to display shelves, baskets, windows, etc. An example of such a fastener is a clip which a grocer uses to clip a sign to a basket or grocery shelf which announces a reduced price for an item. Also used for such purposes are plastic rings. Reference may be had to applicant's prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,477,048, 4,301,987, and 4,277,434 for examples of such clips or rings.
Many retailers, however, resort to using lower cost cellophane adhesive tape as a display fastener because of its multi-purpose uses. Signs can be taped to windows or walls or to display shelves whereas clips cannot attach a sign to a window. Additionally, a single roll of tape may fasten many signs and may easily be stored. A quantity of loose clips, on the other hand, requires more storage and inventory tracking.
Unfortunately, the use of cellophane adhesive tape is generally messy. When a sign is removed the cellophane tape usually tears and a portion is left behind. Sometimes the remaining portion is simply left behind only to be covered by more tape at a future date. Other times, the remaining portion is removed after some effort to pick at an edge until the portion can be grasped. Even with the tape removed, there still may be a mess due to the adhesive residue left behind.
Additionally, the use of cellophane tape as a fastener for display signs creates displays which are unattractive. Dirt may adhere to the edges of the tape and may create dirty edges on the sign. Preferably, a display fastener should be low cost, easy to store, detach easily from a display and leave no messy adhesive residue when removed from a display shelf, basket, etc. It should also have a multiplicity of applications and uses.